11 Incredible Weekend Getaways from Seattle: A Helpful Guide

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. That being said, we would never recommend something to you that we don’t stand behind 100%.

Do You Need a Car for These Weekend Trips from Seattle?

Generally, using a personal vehicle is often necessary to fully experience the many potential destinations on this list within a single weekend trip departing from Seattle. Public transportation and train options are quite limited for reaching most locations, especially national parks located farther away.

With no vehicle, your choices are limited. Our top recommendation would be renting a car for the weekend, but that adds to the cost and sometimes driving is tiresome.

If you don’t have a car, and don’t want to rent one, there are a few getaways that are accessible by train or ferry.

They are: 

• Portland, Oregon (via Amtrak)
• Vancouver, B.C. (via Amtrak)
• Vashon Island (via Washington State Ferry)
• San Juan Island (via Washington State Ferry)
• Orcas Island (via Washington State Ferry)

However, it`s necessary to note for individuals visiting the islands that, while one can certainly get there using the ferry, having access to a vehicle will permit seeing and doing far more than without car access.

The Best Weekend Getaways from Seattle: A Complete Guide

And now, on to the weekend getaways themselves. 

We’ll order this guide by our personal preferences, meaning our absolute favorite escapes top the list. Though worth noting, anything listed receives our recommendation.

For many of the locations included in this list, we have more detailed guides that would serve as more useful resources for concrete travel planning. Where applicable, we`ll connect you to those to save for when organizing your trip.

One factor we didn’t really understand anterior to moving to Portland is that segments of Mount Rainier National Park are equally accessible from Portland as they are from Seattle (at least if you’re conversing concerning Paradise), which signifies those annual trips will carry on for the foreseeable upcoming.

Before we can get into what to do and see at Mount Rainier, we probably need to touch (briefly) on the park’s geography.

Firstly, Mount Rainier is massive. Which presents a bit of an issue when planning a trip.

The travel time and distance between the two most visited regions of the park – Paradise and Sunrise – is around an hour and a half,

If you only have a weekend, our strong recommendation would be to focus on one region.

And that area, if you’ve never visited Rainier, would be Paradise for us.

The trail in this park has been noted as having the highest elevation gain, providing scenic vistas overall. Additionally, an abundance of waterfalls can be explored throughout the area. Late July and early August is prime time to witness the landscape filled with wildflowers of diverse hues blooming prolifically in the meadows.

Plus, it’s the only region of the park that’s accessible year around.

Sunrise offers stunning views of Rainier`s glaciated peak from incredible hikes throughout the park if you seek superb scenery. It`s marginally closer to Seattle than other areas as it lies to the east of the Mountain.

Things to Do at Mount Rainier

Some of our favorite activities at Mount Rainier are listed here.

Hike the Skyline Trail. This is one of the best hikes at Mount Rainier National Park (and one of our favorite Washington State hikes), at minimum in our opinion. We’ve completed it multiple times, in both directions, and it never grows old. It offers everything sought when exploring Rainier – a stunning waterfall (Myrtle Falls), meadows bursting with wildflowers, and progressively more impressive Rainier vistas on the further inward one ventures. Oh, and wildlife! We’ve seen both cute plump marmots and elusive elegant mountain goats. Here’s our guide to the Skyline Trail with additional information and photographs to demonstrate what we mean.

Tour the cascades at Paradise. As briefly discussed earlier, Paradise also provides an impressive assortment of waterfalls in the park. Myrtle Cascade, which is near the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center, is notable given its backdrop of Rainier’s snowcapped peak. Reaching Comet Falls necessitates a modest hike but it exhibits the most dramatic of the falls in the park. Christine Falls is striking because of the framing created by the stone archway. Alas, so many waterfalls yet limited time to see them all!”

Explore Sunrise. As the highest point accessible by road in the park, Sunrise offers the best variety of hikes departing from the visitor center. All three routes mentioned follow the initial Sourdough Ridge path together, presenting incredible sights of Rainier and the White River Valley. They then split at Frozen Lake to individually continue on diverging courses.

• The Burroughs Mountain Trail: Our favorite of the three here, this hike is challenging. It takes you up to a viewpoint where it truly seems you can reach out and touch Mount Rainier’s face. There are three burroughs, and the journey to the first two is relatively easy. To get up to the third burrough, it’s a steep, long ascent, but we think the views are worth it. Check out our Burroughs Mountain Trail guidefor more information.
• The Mount Fremont Observation Area: This trail offers impressive scenery from the decommissioned fire observation tower, with a sweeping vista of the surrounding landscape that includes Rainier. The path heads directly at Frozen Lake then climbs up to a ridge that is followed out to the observation area. Keep watch for rock squirrels and pack insect repellent in early summer, as we`ve never encountered more mosquitoes than at the top of this hike. Additional trail details here.
• Berkeley Park: This hike is ideal for experiencing an incredible wildflower display in summer (we had success around the final week of July). The trail heads directly to Frozen Lake, descending into an idyllic meadow full of blankets of wildflowers, bubbling brooks, and… black bears. It`s easy to see why this area is a favorite haunt of the park`s black bear population. Keep aware of your surroundings, make noise along the trail, and you`ll be fine. Further trail information here.

Obviously, that’s not everything we can express about Mount Rainier. For more details, we’d motivate you to go read our more thorough guides to exploring Mount Rainier National Park.

Whether you enjoy hiking miles and miles at once, or you simply want to go on a brief stroll to the beach, you`re certain to love Olympic National Park.

The biggest problem with Olympic National Park is figuring out what to do and see, and how to organize your time (lucky for you, we have an entire Olympic National Park itinerary dedicated to helping you do just that).

Given its vast size, exploring the entire park likely requires significant driving if retracing steps becomes necessary.

Our biggest tip is to spend your weekend doing a loop that starts in Port Angeles, works your way down towards Forks, and loops down past Lake Quinault, returning to Seattle through Olympia.

If you remain in one locale – say, Port Angeles or Forks – you’re going to be doing a lot of driving back and forth between places. For context, it’s a 1 hour and 45 minute drive between Hurricane Ridge (the alpine part of the park) and Forks (the Pacific Coast beaches).

Then it’s ANOTHER hour to get from Forks to the Hoh Rainforest after that.

Trust us – spend one night in each Port Angeles and Forks as you make a grand loop around the Olympic Peninsula.

The 82-mile drive to Port Angeles (at the peninsula`s western edge) takes approximately the same time whether traversing by road or boarding the vehicle ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island.

The travel time is about the same: just short of 2 1⁄2 hours. From Port Angeles to the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center is about 20 miles, and it will take around 45 minutes.

Things to Do in Olympic National Park

There is plenty to do and see in Olympic National Park to fill an entire week (if not more), which means you’ll have to pick and choose what you do and see if you only have a weekend.

With a pair of days, we`d prioritize four locales: Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, Pacific coast beaches, and the Hoh Rainforest.

With a few extra days, you can add on the north Pacific Coast (near Neah Bay) and the Quinault Rainforest and Kalaloch Beach area.

Here’s what to do in each of those areas. 

If you’re looking for a relaxing island escape from Seattle, Orcas is our premier choice

The journey starts from the ferry terminal in Anacortes, where you’ll board the ferry (we’d suggest boarding with your vehicle, which is really needed to get around on the island) and embark on a scenic boat ride through the San Juans to the ferry terminal on the southwest end of Orcas.

As soon as your feet contact the ground on the island, you’ll be transported to a different world, where concerns regarding work emails do not seem as pressing, and you’re not in a rush to get to your next destination.

After two or three days of island time, you might find yourself wondering why you don’t live like this all the time.

What to Do on Orcas Island

We enjoy Orcas, and actually have two complete guides devoted to exploring the best that Orcas offers – our guide to hiking on Orcas Island covers our favored hikes on the island, and our guide to the best things to do on Orcas provides a starting point for planning your trip.

An overview of attractions on Orcas Island is briefly summarized here.

Hiking. There are some fantastic hiking trails available on Orcas Island for those seeking to enjoy the natural scenery away from the bustle of nearby San Juan Island. Two prominent mountains – Turtleback Mountain on the western side and Mount Constitution to the east – offer various pathways suitable for different skill levels. The 6.5 mile Turtleback Loop from the southern starting point provides appealing views, especially the initial ascent to Ships Peak. Another option is the hike from Little Summit up to the summit of Mount Constitution, which more adventurous hikers can extend to a full circuit from the shore of Mountain Lake lasting approximately 8 miles with 1,700 feet of elevation gain.

Wine Tasting. The island has two locales to sample wines. Orcas Island Winery sits on the western side and stands as the sole traditional vineyard (with a sizeable estate and tasting room). Locally owned since 2019, we enjoyed a pet-nat rose. Beautiful grounds encompass a barn-style tasting room. The second spot is Doe Bay Wine Company, a tiny local-run shop in Eastsound offering samples of wines from their Orcas Project label or bottles from around the San Juans, including cider.

Exploring Eastsound. Eastsound is the largest town on the island, and it’s a charming little place that is only a couple of blocks in area. Here are some of our favorite stops:

• Brown Bear Baking for delectable pastries (NOT GLUTEN FREE, but Alysha enjoyed them as did the broader family we brought them back to)
• Darvill’s Bookstore for browsing the excellent local bookshop on the island (and also the best coffee place, but it’s closed on weekends)
• A location for sampling wine
• Clever Cow Creamery for ice cream
• Printshop for on-demand screen printed t-shirts featuring designs from local creative people
• Girl Meets Dirt for their exceptional fruit preserves crafted from Orcas Island harvests
• The Orcas Food Co-Op for high-quality groceries on the island.

Experience the Lakes. The island has two naturally beautiful lakes within Moran State Park offering swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and stand up paddle boarding. Cascade Lake receives more visitors partly as the park`s campground lies along its shore. Boats can be rented on a first come basis requiring an early arrival. Mountain Lake deeper into Moran State Park has a couple cool central islands worth exploring by kayak. Both lakes encircle hiking trails along the shore, mostly level and ideal for a relaxing stroll.

Mount Baker

And, to be clear here, we are discussing the northern side of Baker along Roadway 542.

Especially the vicinity of Artist Point, where spectacular views of both Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan can be found, along with the rest of the North Cascades.

What we truly appreciate about Mount Baker is the lack of crowds, even during the peak of summer. We were there in August and saw a minuscule fraction of the people we saw in the North Cascades just on the other side of the mountain.

And that means only a small fraction of the people live in places like Rainier and Olympic.

Things to Do at Mount Baker

The highlight here is hiking, and there’s not much else to do in the area.

NOTE OF HIGH IMPORTANCE: The hiking season is regrettably brief due to the elevation and location. Snow will remain on the trail well into August, and returns in October most years. HOWEVER, it transforms into a winter wonderland, and outside of that short summer hiking season, it would make for a fantastic romantic weekend escape from Seattle. Particularly if you lodge at one of the many incredible cozy cabins you’ll find nearby.

A few nearby hiking trails that are worth exploring are detailed here.

Yellow Aster Butte. Our most beloved path we`ve undertaken at Baker. The Yellow Aster Butte Trail carries you up a rather steep climb before it levels somewhat and you stroll through a beautiful valley, full of wildflowers in summer. You’ll turn a corner and see Mount Baker straight ahead. Wind along the ridge and ultimately you’ll start the ascent to the high point of the hike, where you’ll have 360 degree views of the area, including Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan. It’s a lengthy hike with a good amount of elevation gain (7.5 miles / 2,550 feet), but it’s so worthwhile once you attain that summit.

Lake Ann.Another favorite. The endpoint is a magnificent hanging lake situated high in the mountains where the only individuals you’ll come across are backpackers. Throughout the climb, you’ll have incredible views of Mount Baker across the valley. At least, if it’s not obscured in fog at the summit. It’s a long one (9+ miles, 2,600 feet elevation gain), but again, WORTH IT.

Other hiking trails near Baker. Two other hikes we enjoyed were the Chain Lakes Loop, which was an easy hike past several Alpine lakes, and Park Butte, which is on the other side of Mount Baker, but is worth the detour for the hike up to an old fire lookout with Mount Baker RIGHT IN YOUR FACE.

Scenic Views. For breathtaking panoramas, you’ll want to visit Picture Lake ( here on Google Maps) at either sunrise or sunset, and Artist`s Overlook ( here on Google Maps).

Both viewpoints are readily accessible from the road, though Artist Point involves a brief climb to reach the scenic outlook.

For whatever reason, despite growing up in the Seattle area, the North Cascades were my first national park in Washington… at the age of 25.

A good reminder that no matter how familiar you think you are with a place, there are likely some amazing places to explore in your own backyard.

If scenic mountain escapes defined by jagged peaks, turquoise high altitude lakes, and abundant hiking opportunities appeal to you, then the North Cascades region may be worth exploring.

Things to Do in the North Cascades

A selection of our favorite activities to partake in while in the North Cascades are mentioned here.

Hiking in the North Cascades. The North Cascades region has numerous amazing hiking trails too many to complete in just a weekend. Here are a few of our favorite trails.

• The Heather-Maple Pass Loop, which reaches a ridge above a lovely alpine lake, is our preferred hike in the state of Washington.
• Blue Lake is a pleasant, relatively uncomplicated, family-friendly hike to a crystal-clear lake backed by rocky peaks.
• The hike to Hidden Lake Lookout is as magnificent as it is difficult – the end of the trail is a perched lake with the peaks of the North Cascades rising above it in the distance.

Travel the scenic byway end-to-end. Start in Sedro Woolley on the western fringe of the park, and travel all the way through the park to Washington Pass Overlook. Along the way, stop at Diablo Lake, one of the many hikes in the park, and any other scenic pullouts that capture your eye.

Rent a kayak or canoe on Ross Lake.Ross Lake Resort is an oasis in the middle of Ross Lake that is only accessible by ferry. Head out there to lease a kayak or canoe and go exploring along the far shores of the lake, which are only accessible by overnight expedition or boat.

Let’s talk about these two areas separately. 

The Columbia River serves as the border between Washington State and Oregon, famously traversed by Lewis and Clark in their search for a route to the Pacific Ocean. The region truly offers a spectacular mix of landscapes, with towering rock walls along the Gorge floor.

Which means two things. Excellent hiking, and, when considering how much rain this region gets, an incredible number of beautiful waterfalls (particularly on the Oregon side).

The town of Hood River is in the Columbia River Gorge, and we think that it’s a distinctive place because it sits at a crossroads of sorts.

To the east is the high desert (similar to Washington, Oregon gets very dry once you cross the Cascades). To the west is the waterfall corridor.

To the south is the fertile Hood River Valley and, towering above the area, Mount Hood.

Further north, sights such as Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens are commonly visible from viewpoints in the Hood River vicinity.

Oh, and if you’re into watersports, Hood River is world-renowned for its windsurfing, and is a great place to go kayaking.

Hood River will be the ideal home base for exploring the area, offering various dining and drinking spots alongside pleasing lodging choices.

Things to Do in Hood River & The Columbia River Gorge

Presented here are our most loved things to do, see, eat, and drink in Hood River and the Gorge.

Waterfalls within the Gorge.Listing all the many waterfalls in the Gorge here would be impossible, so we`ll mention three favorites. Multnomah Falls, the tallest and most impressive, is undoubtedly worth visiting (and walking upon its stone bridge). Wahclella Falls can be found at the end of an easy hike up its canyon, an outing we really enjoy. Horsetail and Ponytail Falls – particularly the latter – are worth the brief climb to walk behind the falling water, giving a unique viewpoint.

Engage in Watersports.As we mentioned above, this is the place to go for all types of watersports. You can learn to kitesurf at Kite the Gorge, or rent a kayak and head out for an early morning paddle on the mighty Columbia River to channel your inner Lewis & Clark. There’s also the White Salmon River, which flows from mid to late summer, and is just a few minutes north of Hood River on the Washington side. Raft with Wet Planet Whitewater, who is right near the disembarkation point for the trip.

Exploring Downtown Hood River.There are some genuinely intriguing places to dine and drink in Hood River. If into beer, a few quality choices include: pFriem, Double Mountain, and Full Sail all having taprooms in and around downtown. For cider, head to Crush Cider House. For wine, Hood River Common House. For meals, there’s Lake Taco (self-explanatory), Grasslands BBQ (a food truck with superb BBQ out near the water), and Kickstand Coffee for brunch and coffee.

Hiking on the Washington Side.While the Oregon region has greater waterfalls, some excellent vistas can be found on the Washington portion of the Gorge. Hamilton Mountain remains one of our favorite hikes in the Gorge, though nearby Dog Mountain is a close second in spring and summer when it’s abundant with wildflowers (though it’s an EXTREMELY CHALLENGING hike). Coyote Wall presents another good option, and it’s closest to Hood River.

Growing up in the Seattle area, my family would travel every summer to San Juan Island for camping, where we’d spend time exploring the charming downtown location of Friday Harbor, watching for orcas at Lime Kiln State Park (the best spot in the state to see them – they pass right offshore!), and checking out the lavender farm on the island.

We think while you’re on San Juan Island – particularly if you have a whole weekend – you absolutely must spend time on the water.

Preferably in a sea kayak – we joined a 6 hour paddle with Outdoor Odysseys and it was fairly spectacular – or on a wildlife viewing boat tour.

The optimum time to observe orcas (and other whales like humpbacks) is from June to September, and if you’re on the island during that timeframe, you MUST do your utmost to see them.

You can also go to Lime Kiln State Park, which is known as one of the best spots from land to see whales in the world.

Here are some other activities on San Juan Island while you’re there for a weekend.

Things to Do on San Juan Island

Here are some activities you should do on San Juan Island.”

Observing Whales Free of Charge! Lime Kiln State Park along the western shore of San Juan Island is the spot to see orcas from dry land. And not just orcas but groups of humpback and minke whales too. The optimum time period is June through September. I retain fond recollections of numerous summer days spent sitting on the rocks, conversing with park rangers, and keeping my eyes alert. And we observed orcas nearly every visit!

Sea Kayaking around the San Juan Islands is superb. Individuals who are both new and experienced to kayaking alike will discover plenty of excitement on the open water. Whether a person simply wants a couple of hours on the water or is craving a multi-day trip, the hospitable staff at Outdoor Odysseys have them covered.

📍 The map coordinates | Site | Hours: 9 am-6 pm May 1 to November 1 | Entrance: Free

The Farmers Market.Situated on Nichols Street in Friday Harbor, the Saturday Marketers is an assortment of fresh local produce in a relaxed atmosphere accompanied by music from guest musicians.

The Establishments.San Juan Island Brewing Co. in Friday Harbor produces superb craft beers and lagers and has a bar and dining area where you can sample them. Although being a brewpub doesn’t stop them from serving wine and hard cider too, so if you’re not a beer fan (or you can’t drink it, like myself), don’t let that deter you. Madrone Cellars is right in downtown Friday Harbor and makes amazing hard ciders and wine, serving it up in a charming and tiny tasting room. We ended up doing a hard cider flight, and took away a bottle of their lavender black currant hard cider.

---

Whether visiting in summer among lush mountain meadows bursting with wildflowers or winter settling into a cabin between days on the slopes, it offers a fantastic destination.

Additionally, all the trails allow dogs since it`s on National Forest grounds!

Mount Hood is sizable, and the specific region you’ll want to base yourself is Government Camp (or nearby), which is on the south side of the mountain. Regrettably, that does mean that it’s a bit further from Seattle (the distance and time above reflects the drive to Government Camp).

Things to Do at Mount Hood

You’ll notice that most of these revolve around hiking and summer activities, and that’s because we think it’s a superior summer destination, but we’re both biased (we are hikers more than we are skiers).

Trillium Lake. We have often spent our summer weekends at the lake known as Trillium Lake, where camping is also a great option, and it offers the postcard-worthy view of Mount Hood that you seek. At the southern end of the lake, on most occasions you will have a mainly unblocked vista of Hood`s snow-covered peak towering above the valley. If fortunate, there may also be a reflection of the peak upon the lake`s surface (particularly early in the day around sunrise). This location is superb for bringing kayaks or stand-up paddleboards to spend a fun-filled day exploring the water.

Tamanawas Falls. It’s a little bit of a trek from Government Camp, but this is another excellent hike. It’s a relatively easy three miles (round trip) out to a pretty remarkable waterfall, and it’s both pet-friendly and fairly accessible for most hikers.